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Common Kikongo to Bemba phrases

100 practical Kikongo to Bemba phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

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Looking for practical Kikongo to Bemba phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Kikongo phrase first, then the Bemba translation (Bemba) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.

The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Bemba.

Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Bemba-speaking trip in a few weeks.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Kikongo to Bemba translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.

Greetings and pleasantries

Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.

  1. Mbote

    Shani

  2. Mele

    Natotela

  3. Mokolo mayele

    Muli shani

  4. Mokolo ya ntango

    Muli shani

  5. Mokolo ya mambu

    Muli shani

  6. Mokolo ya mpembe

    Shalenipo bwino

  7. Tala mosi

    Tukakutana

  8. Tata

    Twalumba

  9. Nki yina nzo?

    Iwe ulishani?

  10. Nzo yami ke John

    Ndefwaya John

  11. Oko wanga?

    Uli bwanji?

  12. Nki ya mosi na yo

    Nashitasha kukumona

Useful phrases for travellers

Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.

  1. Oyo o zola kutu English?

    Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza?

  2. Nkeni kutu Hindi na mosi.

    Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino

  3. Nkeni kanga.

    Ndefwaya kumfwa

  4. Mokolo, zola kutu na mosi.

    Nimwandi ulukanda buteko

  5. Oyo o zola kutu na mosi?

    Ningaloleleko?

  6. Kutu wapi banzela?

    Ili kuti ikalamba?

  7. Nki zola kuenda na kati ya mbanza?

    Ningalileka shani ku city center?

  8. Tanda na luma.

    Fumya kumwendo

  9. Tanda na mambu.

    Fumya kumwendo

  10. Enda na mosi.

    Enda pamo

  11. Nki mbongo ya ndako?

    Kuli shani ifyabukata?

  12. Ticket mosi, mokolo.

    Ticket imwe, nomba

  13. Nki feti na wapi?

    Kuli lishilu ukulya?

  14. Nkeni zola.

    Ndi lost

  15. Kutu wapi nki zola ku tanga SIM?

    Ili kuti nindeke SIM card?

Everyday conversation

Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.

  1. Ewe

    Eya

  2. Te

    Awe

  3. Kasi

    Panga

  4. Nkiadi

    Ndi bwino

  5. Nkiadi te

    Ndi bwino na

  6. Oyo ke nkiadi malamu

    Ilyo lishibukile

  7. Nkiadi nini?

    Uchite shani?

  8. Okanza kudi nki?

    Ushakufwa?

  9. Nkiadi kudi nki

    Ndefwaya ifyakufwa

  10. Lela na nki

    Leka ifi

  11. Nkiadi na nki

    Nshakufwa

  12. Te na nki

    Takwaba shani

  13. Tata na nki

    Nshakufwa bwino

  14. Mokolo ya mbote

    Nashala bwino mu mwaka

  15. Tala na nzala ya malamu

    Ube na mulimo wabwino

Directions and getting around

Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.

  1. Wana wanga na tanga ya nzo?

    Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima? (Wana wanga na tanga ya nzo?)

  2. Wana wanga na bus?

    Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi? (Wana wanga na bus?)

  3. Nki platform yai?

    Ninshi ni platform iyi? (Nki platform yai?)

  4. Soki nki ntangu yina yenda?

    Ninshi ikalamba? (Soki nki ntangu yina yenda?)

  5. Yai ke nzila ya nki?

    Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino? (Yai ke nzila ya nki?)

  6. Eza na nsi ya nzo

    Ili pamo na pano. (Eza na nsi ya nzo)

  7. Eza na mosi ya nzo

    Ili lishilu na pano. (Eza na mosi ya nzo)

  8. Okanisa ngai na mape?

    Ushibukishe pa mape? (Okanisa ngai na mape?)

  9. Tanga wana, s'il vous plaît

    Leka pano, chonde. (Tanga wana, s'il vous plaît)

  10. Nki ntangu yina yenda?

    Kuli shani? (Nki ntangu yina yenda?)

Shopping and dining

Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.

  1. Nki yina kudi?

    Ili shani? (Ili shani?)

  2. Yina kele na nsi

    Ili lya kuli (Ili lya kuli)

  3. Ona kima ki nsi?

    Muli na chimo chibulu? (Muli na chimo chibulu?)

  4. Ncanza kudi na kadi?

    Ningakupanga na kadi? (Ningakupanga na kadi?)

  5. Nkena na mesa ya mosi na mosi

    Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili (Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili)

  6. Kadi, ndakisa

    Icilanga, tapali (Icilanga, tapali)

  7. Kasi nsi ya mpasi ke na?

    Ubufyashi bwakupanga? (Ubufyashi bwakupanga?)

  8. Ndi muvegetari

    Ndi mvegetarian (Ndi mvegetarian)

  9. Kaka mfu, ndakisa

    Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali (Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali)

  10. Yina kele na nsi

    Ili lya bwino (Ili lya bwino)

  11. Ncanza na menu?

    Ningakonda ifyalo? (Ningakonda ifyalo?)

  12. Ndi kadi ya mvula, ndakisa

    Icupa ca mvula, tapali (Icupa ca mvula, tapali)

Emergencies and health

Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.

  1. Landa boma

    Tuma abashitisha

  2. Landa ambulance

    Tuma ambulance

  3. Nkeni mosi

    Nshikala na doctor

  4. Nkeni na mbisi

    Nshikala bwino

  5. Nkeni na nsembu ya nsembu

    Ndi na allergy ku nsalu

  6. Wana hospital ya mbote?

    Ili kuti hospital ya pafupi?

  7. Eka na nki

    Kuli ububi pano

  8. Nkeni tanga pasipoti na ngai

    Nashitile passport yangu

  9. Olanda hotel na ngai?

    Nawe tuma hotel yangu?

  10. Tala!

    Chikondi!

Work and business

Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.

  1. Nzo ya kima

    Nashamukeni (na-sha-mu-ke-ni)

  2. Tukala na mbandu

    Tulefwaya ukusanga (tu-le-fwa-ya u-ku-sanga)

  3. Nki nsi ya ntangu?

    Ninshi ifikala bwino kwa iwe? (nin-shi i-fi-ka-la bwi-no kwa i-we)

  4. Ndi zola ku sendela nsi ya lufulu

    Nizakutuma ifishina lelo (ni-za-ku-tu-ma i-fi-shi-na le-lo)

  5. Tukala na kanda se

    Twafwaya ukusambilila lero? (twa-fwa-ya u-ku-sam-bi-li-la le-ro)

  6. Tula nsi ya file ya kima

    Nomba fwebo file iliko (nom-ba fwe-bo fi-le i-li-ko)

  7. Mosi na nsi ya ntangu

    Natotela pa nshita (na-to-te-la pa nshi-ta)

  8. Ndi zola ku zola na yo

    Nifwaya ukushanda na iwe (ni-fwa-ya u-ku-shan-da na i-we)

  9. Nki o zola ku zola nki?

    Wakosa ukufumya icikomo? (wa-ko-sa u-ku-fum-ya i-ci-ko-mo)

  10. Ndi zola ku yindula na yo

    Nizakukumbusha (ni-za-ku-kum-bu-sha)

  11. Nsi ya kima yina nsi ya mposo

    Ishina lyakupela ni Lwapula (i-shi-na lya-ku-pe-la ni Lwa-pu-la)

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. Nkiadi ki zole?

    Ninshi ilya shani? (Ninshi ilya shani?)

  2. Kikuma kinsatu

    Kuli nomba itatu. (Kuli nomba itatu.)

  3. Lelo

    Lelo. (Lelo.)

  4. Kuna

    Mwaume. (Mwaume.)

  5. Kima

    Kale. (Kale.)

  6. Mokolo wa mbandu

    Lwandi. (Lwandi.)

  7. Mokolo wa mosi

    Lwakabamba. (Lwakabamba.)

  8. Mokolo wa ntete

    Lwapili. (Lwapili.)

  9. Mosi

    Imwe. (Imwe.)

  10. Mbale

    Ibili. (Ibili.)

  11. Mitatu

    Itatu. (Itatu.)

  12. Kumi

    Icumi. (Icumi.)

  13. Kimo na nkama

    Cikumi. (Cikumi.)

  14. Nseke

    Pafya. (Pafya.)

  15. Nzo

    Ilyo. (Ilyo.)

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